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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 247 (Thursday, December 26, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 105043-105044]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-30641]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2023-0129; FRL-12524-OMS-01]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Consolidated Air Rule for the Synthetic Organic Chemical 
Manufacturing Industry (Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an 
information collection request (ICR), Consolidated Air Rule for the 
Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturing Industry (EPA ICR Number 
1854.14, OMB Control Number 2060-0443) to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is 
currently approved through December 31, 2024. Public comments were 
previously requested via the Federal Register on May 18, 2023 during a 
60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for 
public comments.

DATES: Comments may be submitted on or before January 27, 2025.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-
OAR-2023-0129, to EPA online using https://www.regulations.gov/ (our 
preferred method), by email to [email protected], or by mail to: 
EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460.
    The EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in 
the public docket without change including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes profanity, threats, information 
claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.
    Submit written comments and recommendations to OMB for the proposed 
information collection within 30 days of publication of this notice to 
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information 
collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--Open for 
Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Muntasir Ali, Sector Policies and 
Program Division (D243-05), Office of Air Quality Planning and 
Standards, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle 
Park, North Carolina 27711; telephone number: (919) 541-0833; email 
address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a request for approval of a new 
collection. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not 
required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays 
a currently valid OMB control number.
    Supporting documents, which explain in detail the information that 
the EPA will be collecting, are available in the public docket for this 
ICR. The docket can be viewed online at https://www.regulations.gov or 
in person at the EPA Docket Center, WJC West Building, Room 3334, 1301 
Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC. The telephone number for the 
Docket Center is 202-566-1744. For additional information about EPA's 
public docket, visit http://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    Abstract: The Consolidated Federal Air Rule (CAR) for the Synthetic 
Organic Chemical Manufacturing Industry (SOCMI) (40 CFR part 65) was 
promulgated on December 14, 2000; and amended on August 27, 2007, 
November 12, 2010, August 11, 2011, June 25, 2013, and January 19, 
2021. The CAR regulations are an optional compliance approach for new 
and existing SOCMI facilities that must comply with existing subparts 
in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The CAR is a consolidation of 
major portions of 15 different New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) 
and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) 
pertaining to storage vessels, process vents, transfer racks, equipment 
leaks, and the general provisions for the three applicable parts (40 
CFR parts 60, 61, and 63). These subparts are referred to as 
``referencing Subparts'' because they have been amended to refer to the 
CAR as a compliance alternative. New facilities include those that 
commenced construction, modification or reconstruction after the date 
of proposal of the applicable referencing subpart(s). The referencing 
subparts include 40 CFR part 60, subparts Ka, Kb, VV, VVa, DDD, III, 
NNN, and RRR; 40 CFR part 61, subparts BB, Y, and V; 40 CFR part 63, 
subparts F, G, H, and I. This ICR does not incorporate burden from 
recently proposed amendments to referencing subparts VV, VVa, III, NNN, 
RRR, F, G, H, or I (88 FR 25080) or subpart Kb (88 FR 68535). This 
information is being collected to assure compliance with 40 CFR part 
65.
    Compliance with the CAR is a voluntary alternative. Sources may 
either continue to comply with existing applicable rules or may choose 
to comply with the consolidated rule. All existing sources must be in 
compliance with the requirements of the CAR and/or its referencing 
Subparts within three years of the effective date (i.e., promulgation 
date) of the appropriate standard for the affected source. All new 
sources must be in compliance with the requirements of the CAR and/or 
its referencing Subparts upon startup or the promulgation date of 
standards for an affected source, whichever is later.
    In general, all the NSPS, NESHAP, CAR, and maximum achievable 
control technology (MACT) standards require initial notifications, 
performance tests, and periodic reports by the owners/operators of the 
affected facilities. They are also required to maintain records of the 
occurrence and duration of any startup, shutdown, or malfunction in the 
operation of an affected facility or any period during which the 
monitoring system is inoperative. These notifications, reports, and 
records are essential in determining compliance, and are required of 
all affected facilities subject to these standards.
    Form Numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: Synthetic organic chemical 
manufacturing facilities.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory (40 CFR part 60, 
subparts Ka, Kb, VV, VVa, DDD, III, NNN, and RRR; 40 CFR part 61, 
subparts V, Y, and BB; and 40 CFR part 63, subparts F, G, H, and I; 40 
CFR part 65).

[[Page 105044]]

    Estimated number of respondents: 1,346 (total).
    Frequency of response: Initially, quarterly, semiannually, 
annually.
    Total estimated burden: 1,220,000 hours (per year). Burden is 
defined at 5 CFR 1320.3(b).
    Total estimated cost: $219,000,000 (per year), includes $65,200,000 
annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: The increase in burden from the most 
recently approved ICR is due to adjustments. This increase is due in 
part to an adjustment to the number of sources assumed to comply with 
the CAR instead of the referencing Subparts. Recent Title V permit 
reviews for a HON rulemaking identified very few facilities were 
complying with the CAR. Based on the information reviewed for this 
rulemaking, we have assumed only 10% of sources will choose to comply 
with the CAR. This change, in addition to increased respondent counts, 
resulted in an increase in burden hours for referencing Subparts 
associated with HON. Additionally, respondent counts increased for 
several referencing Subparts based on industry growth rates.

Courtney Kerwin,
Director, Regulatory Support Division.
[FR Doc. 2024-30641 Filed 12-23-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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